Steep-Site Solutions

Straightforward ways to meet the high demands of hillside foundations

STEEP-SITE
SOLUTIONS
BY P. JAMES ROLAND
Straightforward ways to
meet the high demands
of hillside foundations
A two-tiered slab on stepped footings enabled the builder to fit two
townhouses onto this steep and narrow urban site.
(downward sloping) and those that than 4 feet of soil.
As the number of prime building sites
d e c r e a s e s i n N e w E n g l a n d a n d
elsewhere, more builders are forced to
choose difficult sites. One common
problem is a steep grade. While some
solutions to steep sites draw on systems
more familiar to commercial builders,
residential builders generally fare best if
they stick with materials